HuffPost, originally known as The Huffington Post, is an influential American progressive news website founded in May 2005 by Arianna Huffington, Jonah Peretti, Kenneth Lerer, and Andrew Breitbart. It was created to provide a liberal alternative to conservative news aggregators like the Drudge Report, emphasizing digital-first journalism with a focus on news, satire, blogs, and original content across politics, business, technology, entertainment, and culture[1][2][3]. The platform pioneered a new model of internet-native media by combining professional journalism with a vast network of unpaid bloggers, which by 2018 included around 100,000 contributors from politics, entertainment, and academia. Notable contributors have included celebrities and politicians such as John Cusack, Deepak Chopra, and John Kerry. Arianna Huffington served as the initial editor-in-chief until 2016, when she left to start a wellness venture, Thrive Global[2]. HuffPost’s impact on digital media is underscored by its 2012 Pulitzer Prize win, marking it as the first commercially run U.S. digital media enterprise to receive this prestigious award. The site has also garnered other accolades, including the National Magazine Award and Webby Awards, highlighting its editorial excellence and innovation in online journalism[1][3]. In terms of business history, HuffPost was acquired by AOL in 2011 for $315 million, which itself was bought by Verizon Communications in 2015. In 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost, leading to organizational restructuring including layoffs and the closure of HuffPost Canada[1]. As of 2025, HuffPost remains a significant digital news source headquartered in New York City, with approximately 400 employees and annual revenues around $57 million. It continues to focus on progressive reporting and community engagement, maintaining a broad international and localized presence[1][4]. Overall, HuffPost stands out for its pioneering role in transforming news consumption through digital-first strategies, blending original reporting with